Ecosalon

Bring together a landscape architect, an architecture firm, New York City train rails that are unused and on the brink of demolition, and a bunch of passionate activists - what do you get? Creative, green brilliance, of course. Otherwise known as the High-Line Project. The High-Line, located on Manhattan's West Side, is 13 miles of … Continue reading From Rusty Rail-Line to Landscaped High-Line→

Isn't she lovely? There's not much to not like about the Tac Tea Pot (image above) designed by Walter Gropius, architect and founder of the Bauhaus. In fact, it's been called "the most beautiful tea service ever produced". Simple, minimal, functional. What else is there? Enduring, that's what. Gropius (1883-1969) was a genius designer of … Continue reading Simply Ceramics: From Bauhaus to Your House→

Somewhere along the way, America the Beautiful land of the free, has morphed into Home of the big, bigger and biggest. Did it happen when no one was looking? Is it like those five pounds you gain over the holidays? Did they just sneak up on us? Not exactly. In fact, it took years. Of … Continue reading The Not So Mighty McMansion. RIP.→

Exquisite silks frozen in time As part of her series, CastAways, artist Nicole Dextras placed these orange silk fabrics out in the ice cold landscape. Once frozen, they resemble natural life forms, reminiscent of women wearing long, flowing gowns. The beauty of this ephemeral art form lies in its brevity and the mystery it leaves … Continue reading The Heart of Art: CastAways→

A luscious, woven wood masterpiece made of FSC certified scraps. The Weave Credenza from Structured Green would make a stylish statement in any room. Made entirely of FSC certified wood, the decorative door fronts of this gorgeous piece are made from leftover fragments of wood woven together. It's worthy of lots of lust as well … Continue reading Lustables: Weave Credenza→

A modern mix of recycled clay tiles. Fireclay Tile has come up with these six new patterns for its Debris Series made from recycled clay tiles. Already available in 112 colors and a plethora of patterns, this group throws a new mix of cool contemporary into the collection. The tiles are comprised of over 60% … Continue reading Lustables: Contemporary Clay Tiles→

Un-styling your space by just being yourself, continuously. I'm certain we covered close to everything there is to know about the art of undecorating in parts one and two, and it's almost time to call it a wrap. You know the rules because there aren't any, other than trusting your instincts. And if your instincts … Continue reading Undecorate, Naturally: Part Three→

A luscious wreath of rosette succulents. The Echeveria Wreath ($98-108) from VivaTerra is a sculptural blend of the flower shaped Echeveria plant, the most attractive of all the succulents due to its subtle coloring and textural quality. The various hues of pale green and red make it an ideal adornment to your home all year … Continue reading Lustables: Echeveria Wreath→

A mound of dead batteries is reborn as a colorful sea creature. A battery powers everything from appliances to watches to your car, and when it's out of juice, well, that's the end of it. Nowhere else to go but the landfill. Artist Michel de Broin had another idea. He gathered hundreds of old batteries … Continue reading The Heart of Art: Dead Star→

Un-styling your space by just being yourself, randomly. In Undecorate, Naturally: Part One, we established that the new way to decorate begins and ends with trusting your instincts, choosing what you like and just going for it. There are no wrong answers. The best way forward is straight through your doubts or fears, to the … Continue reading Undecorate, Naturally: Part Two→

An architecturally stunning stool that stands in as a basket. "Beautifully delicate in appearance, unfathomably strong in construction," the Kaktus Stool ($250) from Artecnica is pretty much perfect. Use it as a stool, of course, or turn it upside down and it becomes a basket. Made from recycled aluminum, designer and Artecnica co-founder, Enrico Bressan, … Continue reading Lustables: Kaktus Stool→

Un-styling your space by just being yourself, naturally. Lately, there's been a lot of talk about the undoing of decorating. Our piece last week showed us the ins and outs of this new un-style, of letting go of the status quo and allowing a space to be personal rather than perfect. You can go to … Continue reading Undecorate, Naturally: Part One→

The evolution of windows toward sustainability. It's something you probably don't think about very often - windows. They tell us a lot about a building, from its age and style to how energy efficient it is. An average home may lose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through its windows, which is inexcusable considering … Continue reading Windows and Sustainable Design→

Nothing says sustainable like 100% recycled paper bowls. Serve up something delicious in one of these stylish striped bowls designed by Takumi Shimamura for CUIORA. Available in small ($94) and large ($170), and in a variety of luscious colors, the Stripe bowl is hand-made from 100% recycled paper bands. Find them at Gretel. Look for … Continue reading Lustables: Stripe Paper Bowls→

Architects have clients and clients set the creative parameters for a project. But when an architect is his own client, all rules and artistic limitations disappear and the result is the ultimate self portrait. Home is where the heart of an architect can fully and completely be expressed. We take a look into the hearts … Continue reading 6 Famous Architects and the Homes They Lived In→

These glass bead vases have an important story to tell. Story Vases are the brainchild of Front, a Swedish design firm made up of three enterprising women who approach their projects with the goal of exploring and exposing more about the process of design. In this case, Front partnered with the Siyazama Project, a collective … Continue reading The Heart of Art: Story Vases→

Get ready for summer with sustainable outdoor furniture. The Haskell outdoor furniture collection is the perfect blend of modern luxury and simple, fun in the sun. It includes a chair (image above), chaise lounge, occasional table, side table and sultan riser. Prices range from around $1,000 to $2,500 per piece. Not inexpensive, but the company … Continue reading Lustables: Haskell Outdoor Furniture→

Intricate watercolor paintings - small in size, big in imagination. These tiny, detailed paintings by artist Wendy Davenport Whatley, invite us into an extraordinary and fanciful version of nature. At first glance, the drawings come across as scientific and literal, but most of the lively, green and growing things in Whatley's watercolors are figments of … Continue reading The Heart of Art: Things of This Nature→

Another historic gem from the Modernist era is threatened with demolition. The Lassiter House, built by A.G. Odell in 1952, is the oldest known Modernist residence in Charlotte, North Carolina. The original owners, who worked with the architect on the design, put the house on the market last year but it hasn't sold. On February … Continue reading The Historic Lassiter House Awaits Its Fate→

Portland is considered one of the greenest cities and is fast becoming a major player in sustainable fashion, food and culture. But did you know that Portland has historic architecture? It's true. The famous "Made in Oregon" sign (image above) sits atop the historic White Stag building, built in 1907. Portland also has people more … Continue reading Remade in Oregon: The White Stag Block Renewed→

Luxurious silk and sharp acacia thorns as a human fingerprint. Another EcoSalon favorite at Art Basel Miami Beach in December was Italian artist Giuseppe Penone. From afar (image above), his untitled piece on display at the show looks like a blown up image of a human fingerprint. Upon closer inspection (image below), we find thorns … Continue reading The Heart of Art: Fateful Fingerprint→